


Big Acts of Kindness

by Angelox



Series: Big Acts of Kindess [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alive Marco Bott, Alternate Universe - High School, Attack on Titans, Baseball, F/F, F/M, M/M, POV Jean Kirstein, POV Marco Bott, PS3, Popularity, Skateboarding, Star Wars - Freeform, Yaoi, cat lover, game, hidden identity, marcoxjean - Freeform, nerds, online, otaku, snk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-20
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-03-24 22:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3786193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelox/pseuds/Angelox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marco is the new guy from a small town, now living in Maria, a very industrialized and large city. After encountering a what seemed to be ruthless yet kind guy on the subway, he seems to be drawn to him. Though, Jean, this "ruthless" guy, bored with his life meets someone online while playing a game. He befriends this guy but soon realizes that it's the same guy he see's everyday on the subway. No way in hell is he going to reveal that it's him!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Strange Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> This story had taken a while to come up with and I've revised it countless times. I am no professional but I do try to refine my writing skills every chance I get. So I do hope you enjoy my very first fanfic of MarcoxJean. I will definitely go down with this ship.  
> If you would like to see the cover I did for this fanfic, it's here ; http://willowspritex3.deviantart.com/art/Big-Acts-of-Kindness-MarcoxJean-SNK-Fanfic-528185927

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco is nervous about his first day at school but encounters a very particular stranger at the subway station.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, enjoy this first chapter mates! All told in Marcos POV.

It was probably mid-summer, school would be starting soon; I was more than just a pile of nerves.  I, Marco Bodt, have been living here in Maria for only a few weeks now. Due to... recent circumstances, my mother, older sister and I have had to move out of Sina. Though, I probably don’t mind as much as my sister does.  She’s… well, very boisterous, to say the least.  She loved Sina. Sina was a very calm city, or more like just a very big town. Everyone knew each other, and it’s not like it had very large architecture buildings like more modern cities did. It was just small. Cozy.

And here I am, in a larger city. One that’s completely different from Sina. It’s what people call ‘A Modern Industry’.  And actually, I've realized the air here is a lot heavier than it was in Sina.

I should probably stop comparing them, it’s not like it’s making a difference. Maybe I’m still upset at the idea that I’m going to need to start making new friends here. Although, making friends was never really a difficult task for me. Actually, people warm up to me pretty easily. It’s just that… I’m really nervous. I've lived in Sina my entire life, and now, I’m forced to start over in a place utterly foreign to me. Why we’re in Maria now is not something I like talking about.  I’m just trying to get used to living out here. I’m only thankful that our neighborhood isn't too crowded like the inner city is. Yet, as weird as it may sound, I’ve already gotten friendly with the neighbors. I’ll even walk down to the convenient store and get greeted as if I've been there my whole life! Which, I honestly don’t mind. It makes me feel welcomed.

“Good evening, Marco!” my eyes quickly adverted up towards the cashier; the small store echoing with the ringing of the doorbell. He waved towards me, with his green eyes widening in excitement as the door behind me closed.

“Ah, good evening, Eren” I replied, as I casually reached for the starburst candy off the rack. I then settled it on the counter. “How’s work?” I asked him, while grabbing change from my back pocket.

“Lame, I was looking forward to your visit” he said. I paused in my tracks to look up at him. He stood there leaning against the counter with his head resting on his hands as he held himself with his elbows on the counter top. He just smiled cunningly at me.

“You realize I’m not really a regular customer or anything right?” I told him, probably with a puzzled look on my face, mixed with assurance. He just continued to smile, slightly starting to concern me. “W-What?” I finally asked; anxiety somehow oddly twisting in my stomach.

“You’re going to SN High aren’t you?” with a grin, he asked, finally perching up from his position.

“U-Um… Yeah. Why?” why was this relevant to anything?

“I got your back, bro” he stated, finally punching in the amount for the Starburst. “I’ll be going there too; we can take the subway together. You’re new here to Maria, right? You’re lucky you got me around”

It took me a while to process things. I’ve only been in Maria for, like, 4 weeks.  I’m glad I’ve got someone willing to be my first friend at SN.

I smiled as I slid the cash across the counter and grabbing the best candy in the world. “Thanks, Eren, I really do appreciate that” I told him as I started to tear the candy wrapper and grabbing one of the small squares wrapped inside.

“Ah, no problem; after all, you do share whatever you buy with me” he said, right as I gave him a few pieces of starburst deliciousness.

“You do work hard after all” I replied with a genuine smile after he took the candy from me. I started heading out as I waved back at him. “See you later, Eren”

“I’m pretty lazy, though.” He scoffed, and then waved “Later, Marco.”

\--

                I’m really just a pile of nerves.

“You’re not too nervous are you?” I heard Eren say from beside me.

Summer had already ended. It was the first day of school and we were waiting at the subway station.

Here’s the thing, even though we lived in America and different school districts would normally have a bus to take them to school instead; but because I lived far from SN High, me and Eren needed to take a subway.  In fact, any student going to SN High and didn’t live close enough had too. SN was a private school, costing a great amount of money. But this school promised students a better education and a bright future. It was as if we were already going to a college that was a while away from home. It was kind of a new school too, with different customs that a normal school wouldn’t have; although Eren has already been there since last year. But of course when my mom heard of this school, she right away wanted me to take advantage of it. We were barely able to pay for it. But I think our uniforms kind of pick up a lot of attention. Not many people are used to these kinds of uniforms unless we were in some kind of academy; which that wasn’t the case.

I had gotten used to talking to Eren from time to time. For most of the summer I’d wander around the neighborhood; trying to get to know more people that lived closely. Unfortunately not many people spent time outside here; at least not anyone my age. I’d end up talking to elderly folk, tending to their gardens or little kids playing around the street. I’d remember telling them it’s dangerous to do that, but kids will be kids. Neighborhoods weren’t very busy with cars anyways. I think a lot of adolescents usually like to spend their time indoors during summer, being lazy. Or some probably had a summer job like Eren. Or maybe a majority of them actually went out to places with their friends and families. Either way, I hadn’t gotten much of a chance to meet anyone who could’ve possibly gone to the same school as me. Which I think is a bit unfortunate. But such is life.

“Marco?” Eren started “You’re not too nervous, right?” he asked again; probably noticing my lack of attention.

“Maybe just a little” I finally replied to him, scratching at the back of my neck and gazing at the ground beneath my feet. “I’ve never moved before, so I was always used to being around people I knew” I continued.

I looked up at Eren and gave him a slight smile. “I just hope people will like me, y’know?”

It was quiet for a moment as we both gazed at the dark subway tracks in front of us; barely illuminated by the fluorescent underground lights. There was a majority of elders, business folk, and just a wide range of people who all had a long day ahead of them, waiting for the same subway or next.  I finally heard Eren shift a little beside me as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

“You’re worrying for nothing.” I heard him start. “You’re an easy person to get along with, trust me.” He said; his eyes still fixated on the tracks. My lips parted, as if I was going to say something. But I closed them again, staring into nothing.

_I really don’t know what to expect from this year. But I hope it’ll go smoothly._

Finally, the subway came along and I and Eren were lucky enough to be the first few people in front of the opening doors –

“OOF!” a rough grunt came shoving out of Eren’s mouth and the next thing I knew, he was harshly slammed up against my right side.  I even stumbled over a bit, trying desperately to keep us both held up. “OI!” I heard him shout. A buzzed cut shorty had run right past him and into the subway, completely slamming into Eren’s shoulder on his way.

“Ah, shit. Sorry, man!”  He shouted as he quickly turned around to face us. “Hurry the hell up, Jean!” He then shouted out the door, as me and Eren turned our heads toward the direction this guy was shouting at.

“I’m fucking trying!” there was a loud reply as I saw people being shoved out of the way. Most of who were getting very angry. “Move the fuck out of my way!” I heard this guy shout again; then finally seeing who it was.

A guy who seemed somewhat clumsy, the way he had his bag hanging from one shoulder and holding papers in his left hand; using his right to shove people out of his way. His tie was loose and his shirt wasn’t tucked. His hair was actually a mess too. There were strands of hair sticking out, a sandy shade color, yet a darker brown buzz around the bottom shape of his head. He was out of breathe, and sweating.

_A delinquent?_

He had no piercings, no tattoos; but the word ‘delinquent’ seemed to have fit him. Or… maybe that’s a bit harsh. I am no judgmental person, but the way this guy was dressed-

 _Rough morning maybe_.

“The hell do you think you’re doing!?” I heard Eren yell, as this guy made his way ignorantly towards the doors. He dashed right in between Eren and I, ramming a bit into my shoulder. I think there went a brief second of eye contact between me and him. He didn’t look mean; he just looked as if he was in a rush. As if something unexpected happened. Though there wasn’t any time to start making a big fuss here. These doors would be shutting soon.

I quickly got up onto the subway and grabbed onto a bar next to a seat. Eren came on quickly after me, finally allowing for other passengers to get on; everyone getting situated. It was an odd feeling.  I’ve always been used to taking a bus or walking to school back in Sina. It sure was fascinating how convenient bigger cities were.

I glanced over at Eren who was standing beside me. The subway finally started moving and I stumbled a little at the sudden movement. I was completely aware of Eren’s anger at this time though. He had this irritated look on his face, his brows furrowed as he looked across the people in front of us. I turned my head towards his glowered gaze      to see that he was looking at the guys who had made such a ruckus hardly a few seconds ago.

They were sitting on the subway seats, the buzzed cut shorty laughing while he opened up a bread wrapper, probably bought from the convenient store. The guy beside him was fixing up his sandy hair, looking irritated at the laughing guy next to him.  “Shut up! ‘S isn’t funny!” I briefly heard him say over the noises of the subway gliding over its leading tracks.

I didn’t mind.

I cocked my head and turned my gaze out the subway door windows. My eyes gliding quickly with each subway sign we passed; finally making its way into darker area, only seeing dark cement walls. Maybe I should be irritated that such a ruckus took place so early in the morning, not to mention on our first day of school too. But I wasn’t. I’ve never had an issue much with loud people. Maybe it’s because of my immunity towards my older sister? She’s very loud sometimes… most times.

“I can’t believe they’re going to our school” I heard Eren saying, in a much irritated tone. I tore away my gaze from the window, breaking my train of thought. I then looked at Eren with somewhat of a puzzled look... who was he-?

My thoughts quickly picked up as my eyes turned their gaze towards the guys from before. I hadn’t noticed earlier, but they were wearing our same uniforms.  Dress pants that had the light green color of an olive, a black tie wrapped around the neck of a white collar shirt. SN high’s insignia patched right on the left side of the chest of the collar shirt. And if you were wearing the khaki colored blazer; then that as well would have SN’s insignia on its left chest side. Then I noticed something else on their uniforms.

At SN, you were to wear a patch pinned on the sleeve of your collar shirt or blazer. Each patch would represent what year you were in. Freshmen’s had the “Squad” emblem patched onto them. It was an emblem with two swords aligning across from each other. Sophomores would have “Legion”, an emblem of what were to be wings a spread. Then there was my year, a junior, having the emblem of “Guard”. It was an emblem of two roses, sharing the same vine. Seniors would finally have the emblem of… well as silly as it may sound; a unicorn.  It was the “Police” emblem.  Knowing this, I realized that both of these guys had the “Legion” patch.

_So they’re sophomores, huh?_

“Tch” I heard an irritated hiss come from Eren as I focused my eyes back on him. “Those pricks should respect their elders!” He finally said. There was a growl barely audible in the back of his throat. “Students aren’t even supposed to sit down when there’s other people around who could use it more than them” he pointed out, as a pregnant woman was standing up, holding tightly onto the handle dangling from above for balance. But as I saw this, I wondered why no one else could have offered up a seat. Were they waiting for one of these two students to offer first? It would make sense, students of SN High were obligated to stand on a subway or bus, rather than sit. That is, if there’s too many people. We students needed to show a good example for our school and offer up our kindness and sacrifice our comfort if it meant satisfying a civilian. It was a pretty strict school.

“Ah, n-no it’s okay, really” a small voice, sweet and melodic had wandered into my sound of hearing. I blinked out of thought, realizing it was the pregnant woman who was standing.

“Just take it, it’s fine” a stubborn response, a bit pushed from his mouth as he insisted. I saw it was the guy who was in a rush earlier, the one who looked… like he had a rough morning. He was standing up from his seat, urging the pregnant woman to take his spot. She hesitantly sat down and thanked him as they carefully exchanged places. I was barely able to hear a small “No problem” come from his mouth as his eyes gently and slowly glanced their way towards me.

Me?

“Ah…” His eyes were such a brown color, the irises started to seem stretched. I was in a complete trance, stuck in my own spot. And I could have guessed that I was standing there, stiff from… his glare? Was he glaring at me?

I could feel myself getting small, the blood in me getting thicker. And my brows were slowly starting to fixate themselves into a very confused look. Had I done something to anger this guy? If anything, I should be the one angry… right?

“Hah, he probably heard me” I flinched at Eren’s voice, his eyes onto the guy just a few feet away from us. That’s when I realized… this guy wasn’t looking at me; he was glaring at Eren.

I felt a very heavy weight on my shoulder be lifted, as if I had gotten smacked by a huge whiff of air. A heavy sigh gave way through my lips. _I’m so stupid._

To think that someone I hadn’t properly met yet had already hated me… was I terrified? I just stayed there in my awkward position, as I had my head hung, leaning it against the bar that I was holding. I stood staring onto the top of my shoes; listening to my own breathing, my own heartbeat. It was oddly strange how quiet a subway train could be at times. Stranger when those times are rush hour times.

_He wasn’t mean-looking at all…_

I hadn’t noticed, but I was staring at him from the corner of my eyes. My head still hanging down, but my gaze was completely fixated on this ruthless, Rough-Around-The-Edges, type of guy. He wasn’t glaring at Eren anymore. In fact, he seemed focused onto those papers that he had with him earlier.  He looked really focused…

_Is that… a tint of pink?_

I could promise you that as this moment, this “ruthless” guy was literally blushing as he stood staring at these papers. And I… was most likely staring at him; with a possible hint of heat warming up inside my veins.

A heat.

“Hey, Connie…” my eyes blinked me out of thought from the sound of this stranger’s voice. And I realized that they might have been half lidded during my… uh, trance?

  _Ugh._ Trance sounds so perverted. What was I even getting hot for, his blushing? Did I think he was cute?

_You don’t even know this guy, and you possibly never will._

 But… he _was_ cute.

I had to forcefully position myself upright. I’ll need to stand tall and get ready for our stop. With that being said, my head turned itself towards the doors windows. I watched as the scenery of buildings and busy people walking outside, taxis, bike riders, a stray cat-

“Do you think Mikasa will have any of the same classes as me?” I stopped thinking as I heard the same voice from before. And I couldn’t help but slightly look at him from the corner of my eyes. I noticed his blushing was slightly more noticeable.

_Ignore it._

“Huh?” the other guy said; who I presume is the one he just announced as Connie. “No, what the hell” he continued.  “Jean, she’s like, a grade above us, seriously” I then saw the other guys face collapse just a little.

_A disappointed look._

_But…_

_Jean._

_So that’s your name…_

I turned my gaze back outside the doors. I think it’s enough that I stop eavesdropping.

“Ah, so that’s the guy Mikasa keeps talking about” I turned towards Eren.

“What?” I asked.

“Mikasa is a friend of mine, she’s always complaining about this guy Jean who keeps trying to flirt with her. I never took the time to figure out who it was though” he said quietly to me, as he started to position himself upright, a sign that our stop was coming up. I looked back over at the two strangers. I watched as Jean was helping the pregnant lady get up; telling her to “Take it easy”. The other Connie guy was also helping, with a bread slice in his mouth, his hands out; is keeping a precaution behind her in case she fell back. Obviously she was getting off soon too.

I realized I had a slight smile on my face as I watched how gentle this Jean guy was with this woman.  I then had a feeling that this guy’s strange kindness was going to be sticking with me for a while. Because even though he seemed to be irritated, I could tell he was trying hard to help. And most people don’t realize that that’s usually the best way of showing kindness; trying.

\--

                I was probably in a pretty awkward situation.

“You guys are always so sticky, y’know that?” Eren said ahead of me. He was holding his bag over his shoulder as he walked beside a friend of his. Mikasa, so I’ve heard about from before. Then there was me, walking beside another one of Eren’s friends. His name was Armin. Armin and Mikasa met up with us at our stop, introducing themselves to me and wishing me good luck here at Maria. Mikasa seems like a pretty serious person, she’s very well collected too. Not to mention gorgeous. I’m already fond of her, and we exchanged emails too. Armin also gave me his email, saying that if I ever needed help on something, to not hesitate. He seemed really well mannered and sophisticated, but slightly shy; which was a cute look on him. I mean, I think so anyways; just my opinion…They just seem like cool people, okay.

“Maybe I should move closer to you” I heard Mikasa reply to Eren.

“Hah! No, Mikasa, no” Eren then said, “You and Armin need to grow up without me” he stated.

“Eren... I think it’s you who needs to grow up” Armin finally said from beside me as he pointed towards the zipper strap of Eren’s bag. It was a tiny 90’s treasure troll doll with wild pink hair and a large grin, something I was actually terrified of. Though, I chuckled a bit, wondering how they all ended up being so close.

“I can’t go a year without you guys cuddling up to me, I swear!” I heard Eren shout in annoyance. “Especially you, Mikasa, holy shit”

“If I act clingy towards one guy, other guys won’t want anything to do with me” she said bluntly, her eyes on the sidewalk ahead of us. “We’ll need to turn here soon” she said, mostly pointed towards me since it’s my first time walking to school here. She’s probably trying to help me make mental key maps, in case there was ever a time I came to school alone. She seems really reliable.

“Speaking about guys” I heard Eren start. “We bumped into that Jean guy you complain about. Or more like _he_ bumped into us” he said that last part with a bit of anger. “No, him and his damn friend. His friend is the one who slammed into my shoulder like a fucking wrecking ball. I mean what is he, Miley Cyrus? Shit.”

“Eren… language” I heard Armin say with a sigh. Although, it looks like he was somewhat used to it.

“Did he talk to you guys?” Mikasa asked, on the subject about Jean I assume.

“Tch, no” Eren replied “He glared at me though after I said something about how they should respect their elders and give up their seats etc, etc” I felt my face heat up a bit remembering how I had so stupidly mistaken Jeans glare towards me.

“You said that to them?” Armin asked, probably a bit surprised.

“No, there were people between us; they were a few feet away.  I wasn’t going to maneuver my way through just to tell them that” Eren scoffed a little “I’m pretty sure he just heard me and wanted to prove me wrong or something. Like ‘see, I have enough respect to give up my chair’” Eren ranted, I kind of lost track of the conversation for a while. I just ended up thinking about my schedule, then realizing what Jean had asked his friend. _“Do you think Mikasa will have any of the same classes as me?”_ I couldn’t help but look at Mikasa.

When we got off of the subway train, and Mikasa and Armin were there waiting; I saw Jean glance over at us looking towards Mikasa’s direction with a slightly hurt yet excited expression. I knew then that maybe he had feelings for her, considering the fact that he was blushing on the subway. I figured that paper he was so focused on was probably his schedule, and he was probably more focused on Mikasa than the actual paper itself; and I kind of feel like I want to cheer him on. Because I can’t help but feel that he’s probably a really shy person when it comes to talking to girls. And that on its own is enough to make someone like me really want to help him out.

That… Or I’m probably making an excuse just to get to know him.

Have you ever just had that feeling when you see someone for the first time and you immediately feel they could be such a great potential friend? Because you just get this vibe about them that they may not seem what they look like. Because if you’re anyone like me; it’s easy to see people in a different light faster than most.

_So maybe you really are just coming up with excuses to get close to him, Marco._

But that more or less won’t happen.

For now, we are just school mates who happen to ride the same subway.

I, a school mate, who happened to see an aggressive, foul mouthed, harsh shover, maybe had a rough morning, kind of guy who also happened to be a school mate; blush incredulously and helped out a pregnant woman. Whether or not he did it to show Eren something, it doesn’t hide the fact that he still did it. And indeed that’s a strange way of showing kindness; one that’s really going to affect me one way or another. Because whether or not he meant to do it, or whether or not he was irritated; I can’t help but imagine that maybe he’s actually a very good person.

I don’t know what made me turn around, but I did. And I saw him… walking behind us; a very far distance but enough for me to see his face.

Jean, he walked side by side with that friend of his, but there was another person with him; a very energetic girl who had brown thick hair up in a ponytail. She laughed with Connie as she threw up what seemed like candy pieces up into the air and having Jean catch them in his mouth. He failed at every attempt and eventually seemed like he was fed up with their game; throwing his hands up in defeat, probably telling them to leave him alone already.

“Marco!” I briefly heard Eren shout my name before -

GAH- !!

My head was instantly throbbing and a loud ringing was echoing around us. I had stupidly walked into a stop sign, and I heard immediate laughter from other students around who were also walking to school.

“Ou-ch” I winced at the pain on my head, putting as much pressure as I could on it to stop the throbbing. 

“You okay?” Armin asked, placing a hand on my shoulder “You seem kind of distracted”

Yes. Distracted at how cute that guy was able to miss each flying candy and his frustrated look when they’d bounce off his face.

_Oh, but you can’t admit that._

“You should pay more attention to your surroundings” I heard Mikasa say, with that serious tone of hers. I couldn’t help but grunt. I’m so embarrassed. All I can think of are wants to keep walking.

“I know, I’m sorry” I started “Let’s keep going” I just brushed past Mikasa and Eren, taking the lead; my face probably red with embarrassment. I had no idea where I was to even go but I didn’t want Jean to catch up and notice anything; or more like I was afraid to know whether or not he saw my embarrassing act. But I soon realized it didn’t matter anymore because we were already near the school. I was about to embark on a full new day of a new school year in a new city. I wanted to make as many friends as possible. I wanted things to be okay, I wanted to grow closer to people here.

I looked back at Jeans direction once again. He must not have noticed me running into that stop sign. He was wearing a cocky smile as he seemed to be joking with his friends. The energetic girl looked angry at him trying to grab the candy bag from his hand as he dodged her every struggle. Connie just laughed, and Jean was wearing such a large grin. I assumed he was teasing her, trying to balance out the frustration of not being able to catch any of the candy earlier. He probably had a thing for turning tables around on people. He just seems like he does…

_I really like his smile._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave feedback and any tips or criticism. I mean, hey, you'll be doing me a solid man. Thanks for reading. Chapter two will be told in Jeans POV.
> 
> Feel free to follow my tumblr for any updates and what be it. Or not, yknow. Your choice. http://angeloxii.tumblr.com/


	2. Happy Gesture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean is having a hard time being content with his same-thing-everyday life. But Jean meets someone on the PS3 and is curios of who they are until he realizes this guy might be someone who he didn't give such a good first impression towards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two yo. Told in Jeans POV. Woop, have fun~  
> Theres sorta a lot of cussing so, yep.

I think it was around the second week of school when I realized that this school year was going to seriously suck ass.

First of all, I, Jean _fucking_ Kirstein, still couldn't win over the attention of Mikasa Ackerman. In fact, she still hung around that damn Eren jerk. I’ve always known who he was, even though he’s in a grade above me. Yet, we’re the same damn age. How he was able to skip a grade is beyond me because he looks like a moron. I mean, Mikasa clearly has a thing for this guy and he’s completely oblivious! It pisses me off. Not only that, but I haven’t really gained any new friends yet this year. Not that I could use any since people annoy the shit out of me, but I’m pretty like-able, okay.

Recently it’s just been me, Connie, and Sasha constantly hanging out during school.

Connie is this super short troll, who has a buzzed cut and a stupidly ridiculous grin all the time. Sasha, well… she’s a wild boar; literally eats anything in her path. I swear her stomach’s a black hole or something, it’s not normal considering she’s not very big either. It makes me wonder where the hell it all goes. And I don’t even hang out with them that much. Connie is just my neighbor so I’ve known him for a while and we walk home together but that’s it. He occasionally comes to my place just to eat from my fridge, play games on my PS3 that he doesn’t have yet, and read from my manga collection. It’s sometimes a nuisance but he’s kind of the only company I have as of now. People don’t really talk to me much unless they have to.

I can’t really care though, I’m just… I don’t know; bored?

Life in the shoes of Jean Kirstein, let me tell ya’, it’s not exactly “noteworthy or mentionable”. It’s extremely fucking lame. It’s like the universe has some kind of everyday schedule planned for me that just kind of takes its own course over and over again.

During the summer I do nothing but sit in my room, having anime marathons or playing the PS3 online. Then school is no different, I wake up at 4 in the morning because my sleeping pattern is just weird like that. I don’t have dreams or nightmares; I just wake up randomly and can’t fall back asleep. So I’ve always got this extra time on my hands during the mornings; it’s ridiculous.

 After school I come home tired and fed up with the sun. Honestly, I’m like some hermit that’s way too sensitive to sun beams. In fact, I’m pretty sensitive in general, but it’s whatever.

“Hey, Jean…” Connie’s voice beside me suddenly broke through my almost-sleep barrier and it took me a moment to wake up.

I sluggishly brought my hand up and rubbed my eyes in a daze.

“Hm?” I hummed, finally responding.

We were on the subway, on our way home and I was on the edge of falling asleep right here and now. Legit, my head wouldn’t stop nodding off and my eyes just wanted to be shut.

“Not to like, creep you out or anything, but have you noticed that junior over there has been looking at you since the first day of school?” Connie told me as he kept his head down as if not trying to make anything noticeable.

But I knew which junior he was talking about.

You see, I have no problem with this guy or anything but I kinda think he might have an issue with me or something. On the first day of school I accidently bumped into this guy rushing onto the subway. Connie who was distracting me all morning that day made me completely lose track of time so we had to rush to the subway last minute and jack it.

Of course I didn’t care about this Eren punk though; I purposely shoved into him that day. But this guy who rides the subway to and from school with Eren tends to look at me from time to time. Kinda stresses me out a bit because maybe he thinks badly of me for never apologizing the day I bumped into them.

Connie and I probably seemed like some punk ass low lives (which isn’t the case for me ‘cause I’m likeable).

I wouldn’t blame him though if he had a small grudge against me. I never apologize when I need to, that and it takes a long fucking time for me to grow the balls too.

But to be honest, this guy doesn’t look like the type to want to start any trouble with people; which would be fortunate if it was true since I can’t afford getting in any fights this year if this guy really did have beef with me. My dad would tear me apart and send me to some school abroad. I swear he’s like the strict housewife and my mom is the busy worker.

Though, it would probably be best to kind of keep a distance from this guy anyways. He seems to be kind of bigger than me, like by an inch or a half. He also seems to have some muscles going for him so he’s probably not as weak as his face appears him to be. No kidding, his face is adorable. I mean, like, baby adorable. Don’t think I think this guy’s cute. Jean doesn’t play for the same team.

He’s got fucking freckles okay, that really fucking stand out with them big ass doe eyes of his and dark silky hair that’s parted perfectly like some elite school boy. And honest to god, he’s always wearing a slight smile that’s barely noticeable from the tip of his mouth. I’m not fucking kidding.

I’ll catch him smiling with Eren sometimes, not like a big ass grin or anything, (because I doubt Eren is that amusing) but just a “happy gesture” kind of smile. Then when this guy isn’t really doing anything, he’ll still just have a slight curve in the corner of his mouth. Like, this guy must be really fucking content to be able to keep that up. I can’t go a day without being irritated by people (Not kidding about this either).

“I bet he wants to fight ya’” I heard Connie say, concerning this junior, as the subway made eerie sounds while it stopped. I shrugged and got up from my seat, picking up my bag and heading towards the opening doors.

I made sure we walked out of the door that Eren and his friend weren’t walking out of. Awkward maneuvering with strangers from your school is just awkward. Yes, I said awkward twice ‘cause that’s how it is.

“I doubt it, Connie” I finally said as we were outside in the barely lit underground stop.

“What?” He turned his head to look at me as we walked side by side towards the exit.

“About him wanting to fight with me; I doubt it”

“Yeah? How would you know?”

“Look at him, I doubt he can hurt a fly” I pointed out, as we stopped to observe him for a bit. We both turned towards his direction and sure enough he was with that slight smile of his as he knelt on the ground, tying his shoe lace.

_He’s just tying his shoe, why smile dammit?_

I saw Eren standing beside him waiting, seeming to be blabbing his mouth away. Maybe that guy smiles a lot just to seem nice. I bet he’s uninterested of Eren’s rants yet has too big of a heart to say anything. Yeah, I bet he’s that type of person who literally keeps his thoughts to himself. I bet that smile just covers up something meaner. We all hear about how “nice people can never be trusted”; so I wouldn’t be surprised. Then again I’ve always been too quick to judge. I thought Sasha was going to be just a typical girl when I first met her and yet she’s eccentric as fuck.

Whatever though, people confuse me. I can never read them so it’s best I just don’t get involved with too many of them.

 

___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___

 

               

_Too many people are online._

By the time I got home, Connie stayed over for a bit and had dinner with me and dad. Of course they talked most of the time. Mom worked overnight so I wouldn’t be seeing her until 4am; the time I usually wake up anyways.

Connie left, dad did dishes, and I dried them. I would usually do homework afterwards but it’s a Friday so homework was of no existence as far as I was concerned.

So instead I spent my time starting at 8:30pm to play on the PS3. But unfortunately, since it was a weekend; way too many people were on this one. Fucking. Server. I just wanted to play some Calling Klien without being trolled on by a bunch of ten year olds who thought they were the shit until I beat them to a pulp.

This shit was aggravating.

I figured I’d go to a more desolate room where there was barely anyone on. It was free play, not much of a challenge anywhere so it was fine. No one was being obnoxious on their mics either. In fact, no one was even on their mics.

I think it was about 12:05(am) when people weren’t online anymore and the room was dead. I was just there waiting for someone to enter the game, staring blankly at the screen as the CK soundtrack played as a background noise.

Do you see how boring my life is yet? This is pretty much how shit goes for me most of the time. I have too much free time that I get lost in pondering. My dad gets mad because I’ll just sit here staring into space as the t.v is running and all my lights are on. But when it’s late like this, I try to keep my light off and just leave the t.v on.

_Maybe I should just go to bed._

I reached for my remote and pointed it towards the t.v until I saw a sudden user pop up on the screen entering the room.

_MPoloGlow has entered the room._

“Dafuq kind of username is that” I said aloud almost trying not to laugh. I’ve seen some weird ass user names before but this was just kind of unique. I mean, it was pretty ridiculous. Maybe I’m too tired but shit I wanted to laugh; and so I did, chuckling at the fucking “glow” in that user.

“It’s a username that was forced upon me” a sudden voice from the other side of the t.v had interrupted my chuckling. I paused as realization dawned on me that I had my fucking mic on. I had probably left it on from the time I was scolding those damned kids from before. I quickly fumbled with my headset as my mind became flustered on what to say.

“Ah, s-shit. I didn’t know my headset was still on, sorry.” I replied, trying hard not to stutter of embarrassment.

There was no reply, and I kind of thought maybe I was being tested. After all, I rarely apologize for anything.

“Haa, shit this is so embarrassing” I said with a sigh, not realizing where I was trying to go with it “typical of me though, I guess” I continued, trying to just satisfy this situation. Because honestly, it’s too late to think straight so it’s around this time where your brain is half fried and there’s an unconscious you speaking.

“Well...” the voice finally started “if you want to talk about “typical” things then I’d say it’s typical of me to allow a friend to come up with my username” I heard a slight chuckle come from this guy as he said that last part.

Then I was kind of confused.

“Okay, so you let your friend make you a username and you didn’t even complain?” I asked, kind of flabbergasted. Also thinking how I would _never_ let Connie or Sasha decide on a username in my place.

They’d probably end up using something sexual and perverted.

“Yeah, mostly because it was his idea to make me an account since I don’t play the PS3 often”

There was a small moment of silence as I pondered on why this guy was even online.

“Sooo” I started in a hum “Is this your first time online?” I asked.

“No.”

“Well okay then, how often _do_ you play PS3 then?”

“Just…” he seemed hesitant “Weekends”

I stayed quiet for a bit to think of how to reply. He didn’t seem very comfortable talking. I doubt he’s really used to using his headset.

“I’m gonna guess that you’re really responsible, huh” I finally said, without thinking too much about it obviously.

“I try” he replied.

Another awkward silence.

“I received this console as a gift last week from a friend” the guy from the end of the headset broke the silence.

“From the friend who made your user?” I asked in response.

“He’s wanted me to play online with him so he gave me his old PS3. Supposedly he was saving to sell it but didn’t.”

“How generous”

“Mhm” he hummed.

I got quiet for a bit to see if he was going to say anything else.

…

“So tell me” I started. “Do you know what your username is supposed to mean?” I finally said with slight amusement.

 I heard a scoff come from him before he replied.

“It’s kind of obvious” he started “M stands for Marco, my name”

“Aha, okay that part makes sense” I replied with a chuckle “Typical game of Marco-Polo, eh?”

I heard him hum slightly in response again.

“Okay, so the glow part? Are you a glow worm, _Marco_ ” I emphasized on the ‘Marco’, already on my way to teasing this guy.

I then heard a groan come from deep within his throat like he was embarrassed already.

He sure likes to make a lot of noises.

“The glow is just this inside joke with a few people I know” he stated.

I got quiet before realizing what I was about to say.

“Let me in on that” I said, a sly smile curving on my face.

“It’s stupid” he quickly deadpanned.

“Pff, I wanna know”

“You don’t want to know” he put bluntly.

“No I wanna know”

“You _really_ don’t want to”

“I _really_ do want to” I could feel a huge grin on my face already as I insisted on this guy.

He finally let out a long (and I mean long) sigh on his end.

“Fine”

I wiggled in my seat to sit up straight as I was about to listen to this guy’s tale.

“Go on” I said, with obvious amusement.

I heard him groan again which made me smile more.

“So I’ve got freckles, okay?” he said, making sure I got that.

“Okay” I tried imagining how he looked but saw nothing really.

“During class one time, someone had a mirror on them and the sun was hitting on it. You know how sunlight on reflections work, right?”

“Right” _Duh._

“Well, I didn’t really notice or anything since I was highlighting vocabulary” he sounded bored. “But I started feeling eyes on me so I looked up towards the class who were all looking dead on me”

I imagined how I would feel if everyone were staring at me for no reason. I slightly twitched at that.

“I realized that a lot of them were looking at my freckles because apparently the sunlight bouncing off from the mirror was shining directly on them” he paused for a while, maybe getting reluctant “Since I was kind of sitting in the shadows” he started again “everyone started teasing about how my freckles looked like they glowed.” That last part he completely mumbled and I felt a smile creep up on my face again.

There was probably only half a second of silence before little chuckles started coming out of my mouth; those tiny chuckles turning into laughter within a minute.

“Oh my god, glowing freckles, huh?” I spouted at the thought; trying so hard to stop smiling so damn much because my cheeks were fucking hurting now. “You’ve got yourself your own nightlight there, I’m sure!” laughter was catching on as the image of his story became clearer.

“Yea… it’s been clinging onto me now and everyone stares” he said with such insecurity. I kinda felt bad, poor guy. “But, thank god it’s not within the whole school, just my class” he stated, probably trying to reassure himself rather than me.

I pursed my lips and nodded in agreement, understanding his relief. He’s probably the type who gives himself pep talks in the mirror and whatnot just to get through the day. I wouldn’t blame him; we all have to do it just to gain some confidence in this bullshit world one way or another.

I realized that the time was now 1:04am and I knew I wasn’t going to be sleeping well.

Suddenly there was a long gasp on the other end of the t.v and I figured this guy was yawning into the mic.

“Tired?” I asked, already kind of predicting the answer.

“Mhm” he replied with that low hum of his.

“Where do you live?” I asked again, kind of hoping I didn’t sound too clingy with two questions in a row.

“Ah” I heard what seemed to have been his chair moving as he adjusted the mic better; probably sitting up right from whatever lazy position he was in. “I live in a city named Maria, heard of it?”

“ _Heard_ of it?” I questioned with emphasis. “I live in Maria too, so of course” I said as I added Marcos username to my friends list, hoping he’d accept.

“Accepted” he stated.

“Cool” I replied.

We were quiet for a while as the CK music played silently over our headsets.

I was able to hear my clock ticking as I loosely gripped onto my control.

I was staring into space again… except this time thinking about any chances that maybe I’ve seen this guy before. We live in the same city after all, but a city that is really big so the chances are slim.

I started doubting that thought more and more before I was considering to just asking more questions.

“What school do you go to, Marco?”

“Huh?” he said in slight surprise, probably from the sudden question. “Um, SN Private High School” I heard movement from his end as he was most likely fidgeting in his seat. “I’m not very privileged but I was able to afford it barely” he said in a sheepish voice.

But by this point I was kind of surprised. Not only did he live in the same city but also went to my school? How come I never met him? He seems cool, like the type of person I’d _actually_ want to befriend.

But before I told him I went to school there too, I found myself still asking questions.

“What grade are you in?”

“I’m in my third year”

“You’re sixteen then?”

“Seventeen”

“Seventeen?”

“Mhm…”

I could tell he was sounding more and more uncomfortable, probably wondering if it was a good idea to be sharing this info with a stranger he just met. But honestly, I was feeling kind of awkward because now the chances of me having seen this guy around are _very_ fucking high.

“Do you walk to school?” I finally asked, kind of getting annoyed with myself for asking too many things.

He was quiet for a while.

“I live kind of far, so I take the subway with a friend of mine”

I don’t think I’ve ever really had such bad anxiety or anything but right now I felt something churn in my stomach.

I’m _so not_ a people person so if I told this guy I went to school with him and that I also ride a subway; would he want to meet up? Because I don’t think I’m mentally prepared to meet someone from fucking Calling Klien online, okay. I mean, I _really_ suck with meeting people for the first time (again, not kidding here either).

I tried thinking of whom this guy might be, taking in what I know about him.

He rides the subway. There are different subways in different areas so there’s a slight chance we don’t ride the same one. He’s a grade above me. He has a friend that he rides with. He also mentioned freckles; let’s not forget that they glowed too.

My breath kind of stopped as it dawned on me.

This _couldn’t_ possibly be that adorable freckled-face guy me and Connie were talking about right? The one who rides the subway to the same school with his friend? The one who always has that fucking slight smile of his? That damn junior who seems to have a problem with me? Not _that_ damn junior, right?

I accidently let out a grunt as I slid my hand down my face.

I couldn’t just ask if he’s that junior who keeps fucking looking at me. In fact, I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask any more questions or if I wanted to let him know that I went to his school and possibly shared the same subway train. Nope, because if he did have an issue with me and I told him all that; then there would be some awkward tension no doubt.

My eyes blinked at the sudden noise from the t.v.

I heard Marco clearing his throat before saying something.

“You know, I didn’t get your name” he said, with utter seriousness “Maybe it’s my turn to ask questions” I heard slight amusement in his tone.

I had to think on what to say, not wanting to give away too much.

“You can just call me J” even though I meant it as the letter ‘J’, it would have sounded like an actual name to him.

“Alright, Jay” he said. “Is that short for anything?”

I hesitated.

“No, just ‘J’”

“Okay, Just Jay. Should we actually try playing a few rounds?” he said as the games soundtrack continued playing. I actually kind of forgot about it as the room was still up and it seemed like it was a private game or something; meant only for friends to be invited.

But I was relieved he didn’t bother asking about my school or anything so I took advantage.

“Yeah actually, maybe just a few cause I need to sleep” I said, feeling the back of my cerebral tugging onto sleep like it did on the subway earlier.

“Or you can sleep now and we can have a game tomorrow” he gestured with a reassuring tone. “I’m actually really tired too but was caught up in talking to you” I felt a small smile creep up.

“Alright, let’s do that instead” I finally replied.

“Deal” he said in a determined tone “Goodnight, Jay”

“Yep”

And with that we both kind of simultaneously logged off and I shut the t.v out finally.

I got up and flopped onto my bed, letting every muscle relax and sink into the mattress.

Before I was completely enclosed by the dark pit of sleep, I just kept thinking that I’d actually like to get to know Marco in person. But there lingered this doubt in my head that he’d like me at all. The person he knows me as is probably the wreck-less and douche-y guy that bumped into him and his friend, cutting in front of them like some jackass. Not one single apology coming out of my mouth.

But, this will be okay for now. Getting to talk to someone new after school every day or - just weekends he said- but still. This will be good enough. He doesn’t need to know who I really am.

My cheeks still hurt…

I haven’t smiled that much in a short amount of time in a while…

And I actually look forward to tomorrow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So leave kudos if you enjoyed it, or comments.. or just leave if you want and then never come back cause that's cool too and it's not like I'll find you or anything nope ouo
> 
> Calling Klein is a made up game.  
> Oh and, I made up the story of Marcos freckles glowing but it was actually inspired by art on tumblr since I keep seeing comics and whatnot of Marcos freckles being able to glow so I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon yknow.


	3. Two Digits and Exchanging More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco spends the day home alone playing online with his new friend, Jay, but is also expected to hangout with his personal friends later. Perhaps something unexpected will happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took awhile haaa... But woop its hurr~  
> This chapter is a bit short and is mostly filled with dialogue so, yea. Enjoy the interactions here.  
> [awesome stuff in end notes]

By the time I had realized it, Saturday morning had rolled in. Like, it literally rolled into my bed and its blazing sun beams decided I had to wake up. I grunted and moaned as I hid under my blanket, rolling myself into a cocoon. 

If I had to say one thing about mornings; I very much dislike them. 

I was finally nearing the dark peace and tranquility of a quiet rest again until- 

“Marco!” My eyes jolted as I heard my name being shouted. 

“Marco!” With sudden realization, I grunted once again and kicked the blanket off me with my feet as I heard footsteps stomping up the stairs. I braced myself and stood lying flat on my back, staring at the ceiling above me as the footsteps got closer and the shouting got louder. 

“Marco!” The door flung open and I introduce to you my older and oh-so brilliant sister, Becca. 

“Did you take my gel pens?” I turned my  heard  towards her, breaking the intimate stare the ceiling and I were having. 

“They’re next to the speakers” I said, as I pointed towards my desk where a set of speakers lied. 

“Seriously, Marco, buy your own” she said as she took five gel pens off my desk. 

_ All of them in wonderful colors, mind you.  _

“I know you have a thing with gel pens but stealing is a crime”

“Buy me some for Christmas?” I said as I sat up and gazed into her eyes with a  begging  look of a puppy. 

“I’ll think about it” she said. And with that she turned and left my room, closing the door behind her. 

I sighed, as I flopped back on my bed and covered my face with a pillow and carefully listened to myself breathe. Every rush of blood-flow going throughout my body was heard and my ears rang with silence. Every part of me relaxed again and I was nearly forgetting I had even woken up. 

“Marco! Rebecca and I are heading out to run errands! Make sure you eat, you hear?!”  I grunted (again) under my pillow as it came out muffled. My mom was heard from the bottom of the staircase and I was about to reply to her as she already stepped out and I heard the front door close, not even giving me a chance to reply. 

I lied in complete silence as I realized I was home alone, slowly removing the pillow off my face. I sighed as I slammed the pillow down beside me and whispered a small “Okay” in reply to my mom. Highly aware I was speaking to myself. 

_ I am now awake, you happy? _

I sat up on the side of my bed and rubbed my eyes until they felt good enough to stay open. With that I stretched my arms up with a yawn and finally standing up off my comforting throne with a few popping joints here and there. I turned to look at my bed behind me and groaned at the mess I had made of it; with the blanket half falling off.

I lacked effort to make my bed today. 

I dragged myself towards my desk and slid open a drawer. I pulled out a gel pen that I hid from Becca, grabbing a sticky note at the same time and writing a number on it. 

_ 32 _

I stared at my sloppy numbers for a while as I held the pen over my upper lip like a mustache, pondering on these digits. 

Why the numbers? I honestly don’t have a single clue. I tend to have dreams at night that always hides numbers for me to find. Sometimes it’s letters. It’s never really meant anything. Though, I always write them down just in case. Kind of like how some people like to write down their dreams. Except for me it’s numbers. My sister will tease me and say that they’re probably the next numbers for the lottery; which would be awesome if so.

I fumbled into some clean clothes, putting on my favorite Star Wars t-shirt that awesomely had C-3PO in a suit looking like a boss. 

I have a slight crush on the Star Wars Trilogy. More than a crush, maybe; I definitely have a crush on Padme, that’s for sure. 

I had two bowls of Trix, (‘cause I can never get enough of Trix) and finally left the house, locking the door behind me. 

 

___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___

 

“Yo, Marco!” 

I was slightly surprised to hear Eren’s voice as I entered the convenient store. The bell ringing as I enter.

“Hey, Eren. I didn’t expect to see you here today” I told him, as I grabbed a Starburst treat (like always).

“Bertolt was sick today so I filled in” he replied. 

I placed the Starburst onto the counter and walked towards the fridge, grabbing a Lemonade Snapple. 

“Sucks to be you” I said with a tease, closing the fridge.

“I owed him anyways” He scoffed, as I made my way back towards the counter. 

“Is it allergies that are bugging him?” I asked as Eren marked up my amount and I reached for my wallet. 

“Yea, did you see how much of a mess he was on Friday? Man, poor guy” 

I recalled Bertolt in complete misery the day before, during school. He’s a senior that I happen to see in the Student Council meetings from time to time. 

I’m not in it, but Armin is the President so he’ll ask me to help him out sometimes. He’s actually asked for me to join but I’ve been debating over it. Mikasa is the Vice President, which is funny to see since she’s so much more strict and demanding than Armin is. But Armin is very responsible and sophisticated, I like seeing him in action during the meetings. He just has a leader vibe to him even though he’s sensitive and small. He’ll come up with ways to help students in the school who are struggling or how to make civilians around us respect and trust us. He’s always willing to listen to everyone else and is always on his toes. I’ve never seen him not busy.

“Oh, yeah! How’s the PS3?” Eren asked, finally giving back my change.

“Why? Is it supposed to be bad?” I asked, with a raised eyebrow and looking at him suspiciously. 

“Yeah, ‘cause I would give you a shitty console” he replied with sarcasm and a grin. 

“It plays good, just slow to start up” I said with a chuckle. 

“I gave it to you last week right? Have you played much?” 

I thought about how much I’ve played on it but only recall last night and maybe two times before. 

“Not much” I finally said, opening my Starburst wrap. 

I suddenly remembered the stranger I befriend last night as well while playing late at night. We had never really said what time we should play together. That got me to worry a little. 

“Alright, I gotta go” I said, giving a Starburst square to Eren while one was in my mouth sending wonderful flavors all over my tongue. 

“Hold on!” he stopped me as I was already rushing out the door. I turned around to face him again.

“Yeah?”

“You skateboard right?” he asked, which I hesitated to reply, thinking of why he wanted to know. 

“Yeah…” I said “Why?”

“I remember seeing you skateboard during the summer one time” he started “You’re really good, you think you can teach me?” 

“Do you have a skateboard?” I asked, interested in the matter.

“Yea, I just never had much luck riding it”

“I can teach you” I replied with a smile.

“Sweet! Later me and the gang are going to hang out at the park, you think you can make it?” 

I thought for a while, wondering what time Jay would be online and what time Eren expected me to teach him. I really didn’t want to leave anyone hanging.

“Um... yea” I finally said “Just text me when you get to the park and I’ll head out there” I smiled.

“Aright then, later!” 

I left the store and drank my entire Snapple on my walk home. 

 

___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___

  


Finally getting home and entering my house, I called out to my mom but felt stupid afterwards since she had clearly left like half an hour ago. So with a sigh I went up the stairs towards my room, skipping every other step. 

Let me just say that it’s unbearably hot this August.

I’m completely not used to the weather out here, it’s like it gets a lot hotter here than in Sina. I am just eagerly waiting for fall to come around the corner soon.  Like so bad.

Immediately I turned the fan on in my room putting it on energy mode and flopping onto my chair. I got on it a little too hard cause it rolled back on its wheels and nearly gave me a heart attack. I’ll probably never get used to having wooden floor in my bedroom. 

“Haa... man” I sighed as I turned facing my T.V and flipped it on using the remote. “Oh right, the PS3” grunting I went to turn that on as well. I wasn’t sure if it could be turned on using a remote too but if it did then I wish Eren would have given it to me (‘Cause that would be helpful for lazy days like this).

_ Surrender2Kirschx is online _

I actually hesitated to join him. If I recall his name was Jay and I met him kind of on accident last night I guess. We talked for a while rather than played together so we agreed to play today. 

But y’know… I don’t really do stuff like this so it was a bit odd. I mean, making friends online. It’s probably common for a lot of people but I’ve always been the type of person who was mostly outdoors. 

I really enjoy being outdoors, honestly.

_ Okay, here we go. _

Putting on my headset I joined the room Jay was in, surprised to already hear his voice on the other end. 

“Then log off already, you shit!” 

“But I just got on…” I replied, acting innocent, knowing full well he wasn’t talking to me.

“Ah! No not you Marco!” He rushed to reply “This damn kid!” 

“I’m not a fucking kid, mate! If anything I’m older than you here so piss off!” Some stranger interrupted.

I couldn’t help but laugh. It was probably almost 12 in the afternoon and stuff like this was already happening. 

_ Too early if you ask me.  _

“You know what! Ugh!” and the next thing I knew, Jay left the room and I heard mumbling coming from other players. They started the game and I decided to leave as well. 

An invitation popped up from Jay and I accepted. 

“God fucking dammit” I heard him immediately as I entered the new room. 

“What was that all about?” I chuckled. 

“Man I don’t know. Bunch of pricks these days, seriously” he grumbled. He started setting up the game and had put the mode on private, which I quickly realized. 

“You can’t block out the haters Jay” I said with amusement. 

“Why, are you going to be a hater too, _Glow Worm_?” 

I scoffed at the new nick name.   


“Hey, I can be if I want” I replied, trying not to laugh at this guy’s frustration. 

“Listen, Linda, listen” he started “You don’t want to get on my bad side, alright?” 

I laughed. 

“Yea, okay, Hulk” I said again with a chuckle.

I heard him sigh on the other end. 

“Gawd. It’s fucking hot” he grunted. 

“Oh, I know” I replied as the game was counting down to start. 

_ 10… 9… 8… _

“I’m kind of surprised you’re on early” I said as I watched the numbers continue to go down.

“Oh yea. I have insomnia so it’s hard for me to sleep or something” 

“Or something?” 

“Yea, I don’t know. I don’t get it but y’know, its watevs” 

_ 5… 4… _

“I’d probably still be asleep if not for the blazing sun and it’s affection towards me” I groaned.

“Wow, Glow Worm. You don’t sound very happy” he laughed. “Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“I should be asking you that” 

“Those punks ruined my mood alright, can’t blame me” 

The game started up and our mission began. 

Calling Klien is very confusing at first but I was lucky Eren was there to show me the ropes or I would be a mess right now. Especially since Jay seems to play more than I do. 

“You need the philosopher stone man” I heard Jay suggest from his end.

“Wait, what?” I replied.

“The lock needs –“

“OH” I face palmed “Right, right, gotchya” 

I heard him laugh and I felt my face heat up from embarrassment. 

“You really don’t play often do you?” he said.

“I do have a life” I replied.

“What are you trying to say?” he said with amusement.

“I mean I get all the Latinas” I sang. 

I heard a roaring laugh come from his end and I couldn’t help but laugh as well. 

“What?” I said, still laughing with a bit of blush forming on my cheeks.

“Dude, don’t ever say that again” He breathed “Ugh, that was terrible” I heard him still chuckling. 

“NO! NO! PLEASE DON’T!” I fumbled out of my chair, ignoring what he said, as a giant grizzly bear joined me inside a cave, immediately attacking my character.

“Hah! You found the den” Jay teased.

“I’m going to diieee” I whined as I furiously tried to fight off the bear or run for my precious characters life. 

“You’re dead” 

I stood in shock as my screen popped up with a death message as it waited for me to respond. 

“Thanks, Sherlock” I deadpanned.

“No prob, Bob” Jay replied with such amusement. 

I sat back in my chair, and again it rolled back. I grunted and positioned it right so I was comfortable. 

“Okay, so the mission is to get into the chest right?” I asked.

“And the tomb” Jay replied “Which is harder since the chimeras are the guards” 

“I have yet to fight those” I grunted.

“Wait ‘til you run into Glow Worm” he started “Oh yea, he’s a killer” I heard sarcasm in his tone.

“I’m not amused” 

He chuckled and I saw his character show up on my screen ahead of my character. 

“Get off my lawn, you maggot of a punk!” I shouted, mimicking that of an old grouch and attacking his character. 

“Hey, hey!” He shouted “I’m actually trying to follow the mission here unlike you!” 

“Nope, you’ve ran into Glow Worm” I teased “Now feel my wrath!” 

“That’s not funny, sto-opasdfg” I laughed at his spasm as his character died and he was now frozen in shock. “Wow, that was so kind of you” He stated.

“I’m here every weekend, pleasure doing business with you” I replied in amusement. 

“Har har, remind me never to play with you again” 

“Never play with me again” I said, with a chuckle.

“I’ll have to write that down” he grunted. 

“Why don’t we try another mission?” I asked.

“Yeah, hold on” he replied as I heard his mic fumble and a commotion of white noise was heard. 

“Maruchan, stahp” I heard him whine. 

“Are you alright there?” I said, confused on what’s going on as the game stood still waiting for activity on our part.

“Sorry, hold on” he said once more.

I waited for a few minutes as complete silence lingered over the other end. 

“Okay, I’m back” I heard Jay breathed. “My cat was being obnoxious” 

“You have a cat?” I asked, kind of surprised since I haven’t seen (or heard of) pets in a while.

“Yeah she happens to love playing with my face while I’m clearly occupied” 

The thought of that was actually really cute.

“Her name is Maruchan?” I asked.

“Yea, like the soup brand. I keep a stash in my room all the time. I’m addicted.” 

“That’s so unhealthy, Jay” I assured him, also kind of flabbergasted that he would name his pet after a soup brand.

“Yeaaa… Alright, we’ll head to headquarters and try another mission” he said. 

“Alright” 

We played for another hour or so and we finally got a mission done which made me feel very satisfied. 

I realized that I actually enjoyed talking to Jay and kind of wished I knew him in person. Though, he did say he lived in Maria too but I have no clue where. I wanted to ask but it felt unnecessary to do so. Despite the fact he knows what school I go to and whatnot, I didn’t feel like asking him anything and instead would rather him tell me personal stuff on his own time. I mean, I have a feeling we’ll be talking a lot more often. 

Which reminded me…

“Hey Jay, do you have an email?” I asked. 

“Yea why?”

“Just so we can talk when we’re not online” I started “Today I wasn’t sure what time you would be on and it kind of worried me since we didn’t plan what time before-hand” 

“Okay, but, why my email? I hardly check that thing” he said.

“Well, isn’t your number a bit too personal?” I asked, sheepishly.

“Uh, no” he replied “It’s modern days, duh” 

“And?” 

“And no one uses email anymore, hello” he stated.

“Emails are important, okay” I replied.

“I’ll just give you my number, man, no worries” 

So we exchanged numbers instead of emails and I right away received a text message. 

_ Jay (1:53pm): _

_       /tombstone emoji _

_       here lays Jay; murdered in cold blood by the dreadfull Glow Worm.  _

I smiled at the message and its little tombstone emoji and replied to him through the mic. 

“Got the message” I said. 

“Awesome” 

_** Bzz bzz ** _

My phone vibrated again at a second message.

_ Eren (1:56pm): _

_      Yo we’re heading to the park that’s a few blocks from your place _

_      You’ll be there right? _

I gasped, completely forgetting the fact that I had made plans with Eren this morning. 

“Crap” I hissed.

“Shit” Jay mocked. 

“Hey, Jay, I got to go, I’m heading out to a park with some friends” I said “I completely lost track of time” 

“Oh, it’s ok” He started “Um, what park?” 

“Just one that’s a few blocks away from where live” I said, hesitating a bit. 

There was a bit of a pause and for a second I thought there was a delay.

“Well, uh. Alright, see you Marco” Jay finally said and I heard him shift on his end. 

“I’ll text you if you want to play again later” I assured, feeling kind of bad I had to leave so soon. 

“Oh, no it’s cool! I gotta head out somewhere too, but yea just text me” 

“Okay, see ya, Jay” 

“Yep” he replied, and his username was no longer on the screen. 

I got up from my seat and grabbed my skateboard out from my closet. I admired its beauty as the deck of the board had a “you don’t know the power of the dark side” text all over it, forming Darth Vador.

Such an awesome board, definitely worth the price I paid. 

I ran downstairs and left the house, locking the door behind me. Then I grabbed my phone and sent a text. 

_ -Outward to- _

_ Jay (2:04pm): _

_      Its spelt “Here lies” and “dreadfull” only has one L there buddy (: _

 

I was halfway down my block when suddenly –

 

**_ Bzz Bzz _ **

_ Jay (2:10pm): _

_      fucking grammar nazi go home _

 

I laughed and an old lady looked at me odd, probably wondering if I’m sane at all.

I ignored her and my thumbs roamed around my phones keypad as I replied with another text.

 

_ -Outward to- _

_ Jay (2:12pm): _

_      But I just left…  _

**_ Bzz Bzz _ **

_ Jay (2:12pm):  _

_      walk your ass backand suffer _

_ -Outward to - _

_ Jay (2:13pm):  _

_      That’s too much of a struggle. Too hot of a day. _

**_ Bzz Bzz _ **

_ Jay (2:14pm): _

_      What a looser _

_ -Outward to- _

_ Jay(2:14pm): _

_       Loser* _

**_ Bzz bzz _ **

_ Jay (2:15pm): _

_      GO HOME _

 

I laughed but before I wanted to reply, Eren called me. 

“Hey, we’re at the park, you alright?” he asked.

“Yep, almost there” I replied as I heard laughter in the background on his end. 

“Alright, Armin brought some snacks in case we feel like eating something” 

“I’ve got my Starburst too” I said cheerfully as I remembered I had put them into my pocket earlier.

“You and your starburst” Eren chuckled “K see ya” 

We hung up the phone and I replied back to Jay.

 

_ -Outward to-  _

_ Jay (2:21pm): _

_      I’ll be home later, don’t worry. _

  


I didn’t get a reply back.

  


___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___

  


“Which foot do you use to kick a ball?” I asked Eren as he stood staring blankly at his board. 

“My right” 

“Okay, you’re going to place your right foot on the board and use your left to push then. I’d recommend practicing your balance on the grass first” 

I watched Eren place his board down on the grass as he balanced hopping on and off the board. He probably thought it was stupid to do that but I had to learn the hard way how to hop on a board.

“Want one, Marco?” Armin asked as he held out a bag of Doritos Cool Ranch towards me. 

“Ah, thanks” I said as I grabbed a few chips from the bag. Then pulling out my starburst I gestured it towards him as well. “Want one?” I asked with a smile. 

“Thank you” he replied as he grabbed a yellow square. 

_ One of my favorites.  _

Suddenly I saw Mikasa approach us and she placed her hands out like a beggar before me.

“Please.” she said in monotone, yet her eyes reminded me of puppies. 

I couldn’t help but smile a little nervously, for Mikasa had this way of slightly intimidating me. 

“Of course” I said as I gave her a square or two in her open hands.  

We all sat together on the grass (Armin and I on my board) as we watched Eren switch over to the concrete and practice keeping a balance as he rode at a slow pace; sharing our treats between each other as if amused by Eren’s foreign experience of skateboarding. 

I would occasionally chuckle at Eren’s miss-ups and hide my face so he wouldn’t see. 

Eventually he got frustrated and sat down on the grass next to me, snatching the Doritos out of my lap from frustration.

“That shit’s hard man!” he pouted as he tore a chip in half with his teeth aggressively. 

I laughed and got up from my board, Armin getting off it as well. 

“I’ll show you how it’s done” I boasted with my chin up as I lifted my board with ease. 

I saw a few curbs here and there along with some benches that I figured I could show off with. 

_ Alright.  _

I breathed out, preparing myself not to mess up. 

And with that I ran and dropped the board on the cement and hopped on it, speeding up with confidence. 

One thing I’ve learnt over the years of skating is that you should never fear the idea of falling off. Trusting your board is the best way to overcome that fear. But I’ll admit there are boards out there you shouldn’t trust at all. 

It’s all about the relationship you have with your board.

I forgot that I was putting on a show for “Eren and Gang” when I became so endorsed of just skating for the sake of it. Because the breeze that came along with gliding across the cement just sets you so free that you forget a lot of things. 

Then I saw the bench and that suddenly became my playground as I used momentum to uplift the board beneath me and glide alongside the edge, doing a flip 5 - 0 grind and twisting the board off of my newly found target while landing on it again.

And everything sped up. 

The sound of children a few feet away became loud and the animals around seemed frantic. My surroundings became blurs of colors and the sound of my wheels impact on the ground rang through my ears on every kick-flip or front-side that I did. Performing nose-slides on curbs and dancing with my board in centripetal force. Riding tic-tacks here and there and turning the board from its tail wheels as I rode, going into carves that made everything feel majestic.

Every sense heightened and suddenly I was alive. The adrenaline ran courses throughout my body and I smelt everything. I saw everything. I felt every pulse of blood colliding against my veins. I laughed as I went faster and I was zipping past joggers and bikers, completely abandoning my friends behind me. 

Before I knew it I skated around the entire park twice.

Eren and Armin looked at me in shock and I chuckled, trying so hard to catch my breath as the adrenaline was still subsiding. 

“Dude you’re so pro, what the hell!” I heard Eren shout as he examined his board as if something was wrong with his. “Why can’t I do that?” 

“You actually made me want to try skating” Armin said.

“I’ve been skating since I was 10 and I still get so engulfed in it” I replied with a laugh. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it” I continued, patting Eren on his shoulder once.

I must have motivated Eren to keep trying because he got back on that thing faster than you can say “chili”. 

Mikasa just lied on the grass and looked at clouds. She didn’t seem too into skateboarding, which is a sad thing. 

So I got back on my board and rode slowly up the cement, going back and forth. Eren continued to ride in the same cemented area he was in. I was hoping he’d try to follow me. But as I rode back up the sidewalk, my vision caught glance of a familiar figure and I stopped. They were coming out of a book store across the street holding a manga, “Berkserk”, volume 32. 

It was Jean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, here's how Marco looked in this chapter if ya interested [Skater!Marco.](http://willowspritex3.deviantart.com/art/Nerd-Marco-bodt-snk-483167309) open it in a new tab
> 
> He's such a dork <3  
> Also [here's](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mgFdn4lfrE)a video of how I imagine him skating.  
> I've been skating recently so I was able to understand Marcos feelings about it. (cause its pretty much my feelings)
> 
> But hey, leave feedback. I'd like to know what you think so far. It's only three chapters but we're getting there. I've got this story all planned out to er.. almost the end hah. It'll be a long series though I'm sure. Might even have a sequal. 
> 
> I see Marco very hispanic with some euro in him so, yea thats my version of him here. I also really wanted him to be the baby in his family <3  
> Those numbers in Marcos dreams though. It'll all make sense in the future. hue  
> But ok, lets reach 16 kudos and one more comment for the next chapter, deal? I'm desperate for feedback. ;twitches eye


	4. Join the Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean is conflicted about Marco being someone he knows in person and is determined to stay away from him. However, he'll still act as Jay. While all the meanwhile, Jeans childhood friend, Connie, tries to persuade Jean to get involved in something he never imagined he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohmai, this story is getting more recognition a little faster than I had expected ouo.  
> It's my first time guys, go slow ok. 
> 
> Lolno, but thanks for all the awesome people leaving kudos and comments so far. It's not a lot but its sure a lot more than what I was expecting, seriously. ;whistles;
> 
> But enough of my rambling, enjoy this chapter, I had fun with it ;u;

I wasn’t sure on what I was expecting. I just wanted to prove myself wrong or something I guess. But when Marco told me that he was going to the park nearby, I wondered if maybe I knew which park he was heading to. I know it’s all kind of stalker-ish but I wanted to make sure that Marco isn’t the guy on the subway who dislikes me.

I mean after last night, I had assumed that Marco was someone who I hadn’t given a good impression towards and that complicated things for me.

We have two parks nearby but one of them is a lot bigger and common to hang out at. It’s a bit more in the center of the north and is kinda more busy with shops and small restaurants around it.

I tend to come here from time to time to buy my manga at the bookstore. They have awesome deals all the time.

I also like the bakery that’s nearby too. God they're so good.

Leaving my bike outside the shop, I decided to just take a look around instead of sit outside like some creep. I was hoping that the tall-freckled-face stranger that rides the subway with Eren wouldn't show up. That someone else who has freckles will and my theory gets proven wrong.

The anticipation was nerve-wrecking and I ended up buying the next volume I needed to continue “Berserk”. My nerves were going up and down as I took the manga from the cashier, rejecting a bag for it and receiving my receipt.

But okay, here’s what happened. The second I walked out of the store and lifted my gaze up towards the park across the street, the _one guy_ I was hoping not to see was standing _right fucking there_ looking at me from the other side.

His tan skin, his baby face, his damn dark hair (that looked kind of messy right now actually), and those dark as fuck eyes. _And_ the legendary freckles. G _od_ , it was him!

“Fuck!” I hissed and quickly covered my face “He saw me, fuck fuck fuck!” cursing under my breathe as I spun around to grab my bike, making a run for it. The amount of embarrassment I felt was overwhelming, I was heating up.

_I fucking hate making eye contact. Just burn me alive, won't ya?_

So, y’know, here I am trying to get this damn bike back into my shitty garage as I’m desperately trying to figure out what to do now that I’ve confirmed Marco is the guy acquainted with Eren. I mean ,what the actual hell is going on here? This kind of shit only happens in movies and even then it’s stupid as fuck.

I threw the manga book onto the couch as I flopped down beside it with a heavy sigh. Leaning forward and placing my head between my knees as I realized how completely crazy this was.

Why did I have to act like such a dick on the first day? Like holy shit, Marco dislikes Jean but he’s cool with Jay. I mean it wasn’t my fault, I was pissed that day. Yeah, okay, I purposely shoved into Eren but I knew I accidently rammed into someone else then too. I just didn’t care enough to see who it was, but it was clearly Marco. I don’t know how to stand up to someone I didn’t mean to piss off. Besides, it’s a little too late to apologize for it anyways and like hell am I going to do that now just because I have some respect for Marco now.

We don’t know each other in person and it should stay that way. I don’t know how I’ll behave with Marco when he’s hanging around Eren and worse Mikasa.

My thoughts froze for a second and I lifted my head up, pondering on what this situation was. If I got closer to Marco in person, would I get closer to Mikasa too?

I’d probably have more of a chance of seeing her often and getting to talk to her.

I mean, it makes sense, right?

I flopped myself down on my side and groaned.

What kind of a low idea is that, Jean, seriously? I can’t be that fucking low to even consider that. As if I’d even grow the balls to talk to her even if I had that chance. I’ve been used so many times to understand that this wasn’t going to be an option. Things are going to have to stay the way they are, as miserable as that makes me feel.

“Jean?”

I shot up from my position as I heard a familiar voice call my name and I looked towards its way. I scooted over as I saw my dad walk towards the couch and sat beside me.

“Where did you go?” he asked with a husky voice, sleepily looking at me and rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand. Though, he was asleep when I left, no one leaves (or enters) the house without him knowing somehow.

“Uh…” I started, roaming my eyes around to find an answer that I didn’t really have. I mean, I wasn’t going to tell him I went to the park to see if my new friend was also a sort of an enemy (frenemy?). My eyes caught glance of the manga beside me. “The bookstore” I said, lifting the manga up to my face as proof of evidence that I was surely there and not somewhere else.

He eyed it cautiously and probably still a little confused, then glanced at me again. My dad sighed and got up from the couch, looking like a sloth more like.

“Don’t spend all your money on that crap” he said, scratching his back underneath his blue shirt that looks worn out from his college years.

Yeah, he’s still the same size as he was in college, which gives me hope for my future bod.

“You should spend your money more wisely, Jean” He continued on his way towards the kitchen, his voice slightly dying the farther he got.

Amund is a very lazy man, or more like he just wakes up late and takes time to wake up completely. He’s like a slow computer, pretty much. Or a sloth, either one. But my dad is very charming, I could tell you that. He’s 42 years old and he can still attract a crowd of college girls without blinking. Me and my mom call it his ‘Brad Pitt’ thing. But that only works when he’s in his active mode and not his crappy-computer mode. He can honestly be a mess sometimes.

“You eat anything, kid?” he said as he took a quick glance at me once I entered the kitchen, then looking back down at the coffee mug being filled as to not spill any. The bitter smell of black coffee filling the kitchen of it’s aroma. It was probably prepared before I came back.

I perched myself up on top of the counter and played with a random yo-yo that was hiding behind the toaster.

“Nah, I was waiting for you” I said, twiddling my fingers with the string that felt a bit sticky.

“You up for some brunch, then?” He replied, watching my fingers play with the string as he leaned against the island across me. I glanced at him, then stretched my arm towards him, handing him the yo-yo.

“Waffles. Don’t burn em” I grinned, and he took the yo-yo, scoffing at my audacity to imply at his bad cooking (even though it’s really not and he knows it).

He twined his fingers perfectly with the string of the yo-yo and while drinking out of his mug he controlled the movements of the toy, acting as a puppeteer. I watched him play a few tricks with it before he settled his mug down on the island, then throwing the yo-yo back at me.

“Show-off” I scoffed, catching the toy. He grinned and pulled out ingredients from the kitchens fridge.

“Those were huge during my day” he told me, pointing at the yo-yo with his eyes and closing the fridge with his foot. I examined it, knowing full well what it was. My dad tends to collect a lot of them and they drive my mom insane sometimes. But as strict as my dad can be, he’s also a huge child. Which I would assume is why we get along so well, not gonna lie (he can still scare me though).

“I wasn’t born yesterday” I replied with a hint of sarcasm and hopping off the counter. I pulled out bowls and pans out of the cupboards for him. “I’ll make the eggs?” I asked, as if he was the chef and in charge. Which I guess he kind of was.

“Do that, I have to call your-” he was interrupted with a yawn “mom.” he continued and I chuckled at his sleepy stance. He went out of the kitchen towards his room, probably getting his cellphone from underneath his pillow. He was most likely going to ask what she wanted for dinner.

Amund usually takes dinner over to my moms office since she comes home so late.

It used to bother me how little time she spent with us but I guess as long as our relationship is okay then it doesn't bother me as much as it did when I was younger.

I can wince at the thought of my childhood.

 

**_♪Youure the devil in disguise! Oh yes-♫_ **

I instantly flinched as my phone rang with a message and I jumped, burning my finger on the pan.

 _“Shit”_ I cursed, as the Elvis Presley ringtone continued to ring aloud and I stammered to shut if off. Sighing a long sigh that I didn’t know I was holding, I finally turned the phone on vibrate and checked the inbox.

 

_MSG From: Glow worm (2:21pm)_

_I’ll be home soon, don’t worry._

 

What? I wondered. My thoughts elsewhere, I had to check our previous messages to know what he was replying too. But it took me some time to realize that the message was sent when I was out of the house.

Small guilt lingered when I noticed that I never replied because my shitty phone was shut off. I mean, my phone tends to turn on and off by itself and it must have turned back on just now, retrieving the message at the same time.

I clicked over the touchpad, typing in a reply.

 

_MSG To: Glow worm (3:10pm)_

_did’ya make it bck home alive glow worm?_

 

“Where are those eggs, kid?” Amund bellowed as he walked back into the kitchen and I glanced at him over my shoulder. He must've changed for he was wearing a white button up, the collar unfixed and khaki pants with black converse. He sure knew how to look classy.

“Coming right up, boss” I replied, stealing a sip from his mug quickly with a grin while he staggered my way with a “move it” expression on his face.

He nudged me with his giant forearm and I laughed moving away from the island and back towards the stove. I heard him gulp down his last few sips of his coffee before I heard him prepare the waffle batter.

My phone didn’t vibrate once.

 

___                              ___                              ___                              ___                              ___

 

It was around 4pm when we finished eating, the kitchen back to it’s clean self, and I was back in my room.

My cat lied on top of my laptop, talking to me as I walked around my room, picking up garbage off the floor here and there. I picked up a few t-shirts and pants I had lying around and took out plates and cups from days before. Guess who was made to clean their “pigsty” of a room?

“Alright, Maruchan, off the laptop” I talked to my feline companion as I lifted her up and placed her on my shoulders. I sat down on my bed, opening the laptop. Immediately, Maruchan started to touch my face as she lied on her side, wrapped around my neck. I would kiss her cute little paws every time they would get near my lips.

She was the most adorable thing in the world.

**_BzBzBz_ **

I slightly jumped as my back pocket buzzed from a new message and off went Maru, to god knows where.

 

_MSG from: Glow worm (4:21pm)_

_No I died. But I’m back as a zombie now so it’s cool. Brains and stuff._

 

I chuckled and started to write a reply back.

 

_MSG to: Glow worm (4:21pm)_

_you ruined a moment me and maruchan were having thnx_

 

**_BzBzBz_**

_MSG from: Glow worm (4:22pm)_

_My pleasure. Remember, I’m here every weekend. Or maybe it’s 24/7 now._ _No, I need sleep. Like 11 hours of sleep, so keep that in mind, please and thank you._

 

I laughed at the dorky messages, but my expression fell once I realized who I was talking to here. It kind of pisses me off that Marco is this guy who rides the same subway as me. I’m still not over it. I mean, Marco so far seems like a chill guy yet I made such a bad impression, it’s embarrassing.

But I’m not even surprised because I always make bad impressions. My parents never shut up about it when we go to outings with family or friends and I’m sitting there watching anime on my phone because I don’t want to talk to anyone. Then of course the adults complain about how I seem like I don’t like them, that I’m bored, uninterested, whatever-the-fuck else. Excuse me, I can’t help that everything fucking annoys me.

I’ve grown to realize that people have to approach me first in a way that will make me want to talk to them. Coming up to me and asking a thousand questions about me isn’t going to appeal me much.

I mean, I don’t know. I wish I had an answer to why I am the way I am, but I don’t.

**_BzBzBz_**

I was about to reply to Marco when another message came buzzing in.

 

_MSG from: Troll-trumpet (4:23pm)_

_Your ass. Outside. Now._

 

An eyebrow cocked up at Connie’s message, wondering what the hell he wanted.

 

_MSG to: Troll-trumpet (4:23pm)_

_do I have to come too?_

 

**_BzBzBz_**

_MSG from: Troll-trumpet (4:24pm)_

_Don’t be smart, just get outside!_

 

I groaned as I shut my laptop and set it aside, kind of upset that I can’t watch anime like I planned. But I also didn’t want to stay in the house, so I reluctantly dragged myself down the stairs, and towards the front door.

“Ayo~” I opened the door to be welcomed by a giant grin on Connie’s face and an obnoxious hello.

“What?” I deadpanned, leaning against the door frame.

“Wanna go to DQ’s?” he asked, holding up a pair of keys.

I almost fell over at the sight of it.

“You’re driving now?!” I shouted, yanking the keys from his hand and examining them to see if they were even real.

“Yeah boii!” He shouted, shaking me by my shoulders. I scoffed in bewilderment as I tossed them back at him.

“Wait, wait” I finally said “Don’t you need an adult in the car to drive though?” I asked.

“Yeeaaa but” he started “I’m pretty pro at it so I’m sure we’ll be just fine” he said, gesturing his hand to the side

I looked behind me back into the house in case my dad was there listening to every word. I closed the door just in case.

“Does your mom know you’re taking the car?” I whispered.

“Yup”

“She’s cool with this?”

“It’s my mom, course she is”

“Did you invite anyone else?”

“Just you. Unless you wanna invite Sash-”

“Hell no” I interrupted, knowing full well all three of us in a car together will be the end of the world.

“Okay”

“Alright, let’s go” and with that we walked down my porch and went across the street. Connie lived across from me so of course. However, due to the city we live in, we don’t have parkways so we either park in a garage, if our house came with one (it’s always a shitty garage through), or along the curb. So we were lucky that Connie's car (his moms car) was parked a few feet away from our homes because it wouldn't be easy to sneak off otherwise (in my case, anyways).

I opened the door to the passengers side but was stopped when I felt a nudge on my ankle.

“Maruchan?” I said, looking down to see her sitting on the ground with a paw resting on said ankle.

“Hey, baby” I slumped down, putting my weight on the hind of my legs as to not touch the ground. I grabbed her front little paws and played with them while I talked to her.

“You wanna come along?” I asked, bringing her paws up to my lips. She meowed and looked away from me.

“Don’t tell dad, k?” kissing her head, and letting her go, I got into the car as I watched her run off again.

 

___                              ___                              ___                              ___                              ___

 

“So I actually wanted to talk to you about something” Connie said, swirling his pretty-much melted ice cream with a spoon.

I didn’t look up at him as I hummed a slight “hm?” in response, and sending a text back to Marco.

We were talking the entire time since we left, mostly talking nonsense. I learned he’s a big Star Wars nerd and he was skateboarding with his friends at the park. Which I didn’t realize because I ran away so quickly. But I tried to keep the information I gave him about me at a minimum such as “I like anime”, and “I fucking hate horror movies.”

“You gonna join any clubs man?” Connie asked, and this time I looked up at him with a puzzled look.

“No, you kidding?” I scoffed, and lifting my fork up, digging it into my chocolate cake to finish it off.

I already had a slight feeling on where this was going.

“Come on man, you did this last year too” he started, his eyes following my fork up and then looking me in the eyes “You’re a disappointment”

I scowled, and dropped the fork down onto the plastic container after I finished the bite. Getting up I went to throw the container and fork away, along with an empty milkshake cup.

“Dude, seriously” I heard Connie beg.

“Why should I join one?” I deadpanned “They’re pointless!”

I was getting annoyed by the subject.

“They’re not and you know it!” He argued back.

I didn’t say anything as I sat back down in the booth, unlocking my phone to see a new message.

 

_MSG from: Glow worm (4:51pm)_

_Horror movies aren’t stupid, they’re just slightly foolish._

_Let’s not judge the poor horror movies now, alright._

 

I ignored Connie and replied back to Marco instead, trying not to get into a bad mood.

“Join the baseball team with me this year man” I heard Connie start and I cringed “Tryouts are on wednesd-”

“Baseball is your thing, not mine” I interrupted. I was getting slightly angry that he wouldn’t drop this conversation when I’m clearly not interested in it.

“You’re gonna end up a fat potato if you don’t do some sort of athletic hobby” he argued and I rolled my eyes looking out the window beside me. “Just join with me, you’ll like it” he continued.

 My phone buzzed, and again I replied back, as I continued to ignore Connie.

“Okay, look” he wouldnt fucking stop “Just one week, sign up, go to practice, and if you still don’t want to do it within a week I’ll let you go, yea?” I glared at him in the corner of my eyes, my head still facing the window.

“Why do you insist I join so badly, huh?” It wasn’t just now that Connie has suggested this to me. He talked a lot about it during the summer as well.

He sighed as he started to hunch over the table, looking down towards his feet.

“I just-” he hesitated “I want this year to be different, y’know?” I ached a little, feeling a sense of empathy.

I knew what he was talking about.

Connie and I are kind of on the same boat with uninteresting lives and achingly wanting something else. We’re both just two sixteen year olds, trying to get by when no one really understands us, and even we don’t understand us.

“Me joining baseball probably won’t make a difference, Connie” I sighed.

“It will, I promise. I was in it last year remember?” he started, sitting up right “With you in it with me, it’ll be ten times better” he said with hope gleaming in his eyes and I almost wanted to die.

“Connie, you can’t be serious” I whined “I’ve never even picked up a bat in my life”

“Well, I mean, neither have I. Bats are gross” he said grinning, making a joke.

I glared at him, not amused one bit.

“Ok ok, but they’ll teach you how to play and the rules and everything. I’ll be there too, come on” he begged once more and I found it hard to decline this time.

I grunted.

“Dammit, Connie, fucking why?” I complained, still really, really, not wanting to join at all. I’ve never liked participating in school programs and shit.

“Because you’re one of the closest friends I have” he said. I looked at him with a pinch of guilt. “And you know I’m going through a tough time right now and I just really want us to get involved in something together” he continued “I really want you there, man”

I stayed silent, and held my phone between my hands as they both rested together on my lap underneath the table.

I couldn't look him in the eyes.

“Remember when we were in 6th grade and we played kickball all the time?” he said, and I still didn’t look up.

“Yea” I mumbled, under my breathe.

“That was a good time right?”

“‘S alright” I continued to mumble.

“Baseball is kinda like that except you’re not kicking a giant ball. We’ll have a good time, Jean”

I sighed, and my muscles felt a bit tense. I wanted to say no, because I knew I would hate it. But damn, how can you do that to someone you knew since you were 9? It’s fucking hard.

“Fine” I started, placing my arms above the table and leaning on my forearms, getting closer to Connie “One week” I continued “If I don’t like it, I’m out” I kept a stern face on as his eyes beamed with excitement.

“Yes!” he clapped and threw his arms up in the air.

I rolled my eyes and slumped myself down on the booth, feeling surprisingly exhausted.

“You won’t regret it, Jean” he assured, as he got up to throw his stuff away.

I laid my head down, a migraine forming in the back of my cerebrum.

 _Doubt that_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo~ How was it? I'm really starting to love the direction this story is going towards and everything I have planned out for it. 
> 
> I can't wait, it's so exciting. It's a pain to develop but I pretty much got it all down and I'm thrilled to share it with ya. 
> 
> Eventually the story gets tense, trust me, we're barely scratching at the tip. 
> 
> Jean joining baseball team, he's not going to survive. hahaha;snort
> 
> But, ahem. Alright, leave feedback because that's my motivation, my drug, the stuff I breathe ;wheezes;  
> Follow my [tumblr](http://angeloxii.tumblr.com/target=%22_blank%22) too since I'm drawing stuff that goes with this AU and I mean, unless you want to miss out then yknow.
> 
> *Next chapter might be a wee bit slow to come out since I have finals next week, bear with me hurr.


	5. Kind Instincts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crushes suck, and Marco can't help but like Jean. But friends and hobbies are always a good distraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaas, finally. Sorry this chapter took so long, I got unmotivated for a bit.  
> Life is a struggle, let me tell ya.  
> So here it is, chapter 5, it's a wee bit long but I'm sure you wont mind.  
> Theres a tiny bit of fluff in here justsayin  
> Now go enjoy the chocolate~

I remember the sidewalk glowing with the evening sun and the small breeze that played with my hair. And I sat there on the grass silently with the image of Jeans face fresh in my mind.

I was feeling sort of miserable.

It was the first time I saw Jean in casual clothes and I honestly couldn’t help but think he was super attractive. I never saw him out of school except for on the subway.

But it frustrated me on how instantly attracted I was towards him since the first day of school, because I really don’t know this guy.

Though, I do pick up small things the more I see him.

I know that on our way to school in the mornings, his hair is always sticking out in some places. Also that his friend Connie and him always have something with them to eat quickly on the subway. And in the halls during classes, I’ll see him roaming around from time to time with headphones in his ears as he looks lost in his own world. On our way back home from school, he always falls asleep. It’s just little things like this and now today, I learned that he must like manga because that was the second thing I saw after his face.

 _“He’s still cute”_ was the first thought that came to my mind once I realized it was him that I didn’t even notice him rushing off on his bike. And it scared me to think that he ran off because he saw me.

But I honestly believe that I don’t even exist in his world.

“Crushes suck” I sighed, saying those words aloud and surprising myself. Armin sat next to me and stood looking right at me once I said them.

Mikasa and Eren were ahead of us on the pavement trying to skate. Except Mikasa mostly just stood on the board and didn’t seem to care to move. But I noticed Armin eyeing me cautiously and I think my breathing went a bit rugged.

“You have a crush on someone, Marco?” he finally whispered, maybe a bit hesitant and leaned in closer to me.

I looked at him and blinked, trying to look for words that I didn’t have. So I smiled at him instead and he returned it. He didn’t push the subject any further and I internally thanked him because I wasn’t ready to talk about my sexuality and non-existent love life.

“It’s getting a little late” I heard Mikasa address, still standing on my board.

I looked at my phone to check the time and saw that it was 3:05pm.

“This is still early to me” I replied with a grin, scratching at the back of my wrist. I watched as Eren grabbed his board and walked towards my way, Mikasa doing the same. She handed me my board and gave me a smile. Like a really nice smile that flattered anyone who saw it.

“Let’s head to my place” Eren started, catching everyone’s attention “We can order pizza and watch a movie” he finished. He sounded pretty convincing so everyone agreed to do so.

We all made small talk on our way there, the warm air finally cooling down around this time.

Eren’s house looked about the same as all the other homes around. The only thing different was his front porch. It was well decorated with a few potted plants and a cushioned bench. And when we entered his home, it smelt like pine and lavender.

There were books scattered around in his family room which was the first thing you saw once entering the house. It had a cozy atmosphere, and looked like a study room. There was no T.V, just a well-designed coffee table surrounded by two couches’. They also had a fire-place with an electric keyboard beside it. And the wall was decorated with family photos and framed certificates.

My eyes roamed at each photo on the wall as we walked passed them. I saw smaller versions of the trio in a few of them.  And I suddenly started to hear a brief tone being hummed before my eyes found their way towards a short woman scrubbing at dishes.

She wore her hair back into a long ponytail that hung loosely over her shoulder. And with a twirl of her floral white dress, she turned towards us as we entered with a greeting smile. She seemed a bit surprised at first until she noticed familiar faces, in which case wouldn’t have been mine.

“Hello Mikasa” she said, embracing Mikasa into a gentle hug and then hugging Armin next. But before I could realize it, her arms were around me and the scent of apple dish soap wondered my nostrils.

I instinctively hugged her back.

“It’s nice to meet you…”

“Marco” I filled in, replying to the gentle way she spoke.

I was a bit star-struck for this was our first meeting and I was already very comfortable around her.

“And it’s a pleasure” I added in, returning the smile. Suddenly Eren threw an arm around my shoulder and I almost lost balance as he leaned mostly on me.

“This is Marco, Marco this is mom” I heard Armin chuckle beside me and I felt a bit embarrassed. It was always a little embarrassing meeting people’s parents or families for the first time.

“Hello, Marco” Eren’s mother spoke “I’ll be heading out to do groceries so don’t burn the house down while I’m gone, _Eren_ ”

“You say that like I’ve done it before or something” Eren replied, as he let go of me and grabbed a rag from the counter and tossed it to his mother. She wiped the water away from the sides of the sink.

“Anyways, we were planning to hang out in my room and maybe order some pizza” Eren continued with a shrug of his shoulders.

“Well, alright. You guys have fun” she said as she headed out of the kitchen. I heard her say that it was nice meeting me again before she was out of sight.

“Alright, you guys are ok with pepperoni, right?” Eren started and we all replied with a nod. And with that he led us up some stairs towards his room and I couldn’t help but think we looked like ducklings following their mother. 

___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___

 

I was absolutely enamored with Armin right now.

“Ok ok, but what about Han-Solo? Why does everyone love him?” Armin asked, with genuine interest. We ended up talking about our favorite movies and we got endorsed with conversing about my top favorite.

“Well he’s lots of amazing things but he’s a great comical relief in the trilogy and pretty bad ass. He’s the pilot who’s always with Chewbacca, in case you don’t know” I replied and excitement was boiling inside me.

“I should really get into it, I just know characters that people always talk about” Armin said as he finished off his second pizza.

“Yo” Eren interrupted, “you guys going to play or what?”

“Eren doesn’t like playing with me” Mikasa added, as she got up from the bean bag and sat next to Armin on the ground with her back resting on Erens bed.

“It’s because you beat him every single time” Armin chuckled, and Eren threw a used napkin at him.

Mikasa shrugged and started to read something off her cellphone, and occasionally showing her phone to Armin in which he would either nod or say a few words quietly about it. They didn’t seem to be making fun of anyone or anything; in fact they looked kind of serious so my best guess was they were talking about something to do with the student council activities.

But I left them to it and started heading towards Eren.

“How do you win a battle with the chimeras?” I asked Eren, as I sat down on the bean bag that Mikasa was previously in. He looked at me a little confused before asking if I was talking about Calling Klien in which I responded with a nod.

“Wanna play that instead and I can show you first hand?” He suggested, and I urgently accepted.

_Bzz Bzz_

My phone buzzed with a message from Jay. I had gotten a message from him earlier but didn’t reply because I was so distracted with talking to Armin and the pizza. So I made sure I replied once I finished my last slice.

_Jay (4:21pm):_

                _you ruined a moment me and maruchan were having thnx_

I chuckled and began to type my reply while Eren was setting up the game. He didn’t take long and handed me a control.

“Alright, so Calling Klien has a whole bunch of missions you have to finish in order to open new sectors right? Whether you’re doing it on solo or with a team”

“Right” I replied to Eren, trying to carefully listen to every word he said.

“Each mission you get from headquarters always leads you to a different world in a different time period, right?”

“Right” I nodded.

“Okay, now every dimension requires different tactics, so fighting a chimera in one dimension might not be the same as fighting one in another”

“So how do I know then? What tactic to use?” I questioned, feeling profoundly confused.

“It all depends on their environment, which is something a lot of people don’t know about” He started “Fighting something that’s used to its surroundings and then bringing something that it’s not used to, that’s its weakness”

“Oh ok, that makes a lot of sense” I said, as lights started to turn on in my head.

“Yea and it doesn’t just go for the chimeras, it’s the same for all guardians” I watched as his character started to battle a guarding Fenrir and I was surprised how quickly he was able to get past it.

“Did you see what element tools I used?” he asked, looking at me expectedly.

“Fire?” I questioned.

“Yea, the habitat is cold. We are isolated in a tundra therefore any guardians here would be weak towards the fire weapons”

“So that’s all?” I asked.

“Well, since we have to craft our own weapons and upgrade each of them from default, means we have to be experienced with it. So it depends on how dependable you make your weapons and how experienced you are with making them”

“Oh well I’m not experienced at all then, I’ve barely made any” I said, rather sheepishly.

“It’s alright; the more experienced you become the more risk you have of other players stealing your shit”

“Oh yea, I forgot they can do that”

“Yeah that’s why I try not to play too much free play since there are no rules, unless I’m confident I can take something from someone else” he scoffed as his character collected items and communicated with headquarters.

Mine wandered aimlessly, lost in the tundra’s forest as small animals avoided me.

I was just glad that I got to learn a little more about the game since it happens to be the only game I have right now and I’d like to be a little better at it. Especially since I play with Jay who seems more of an expert at it than I am and it humiliates me to not know what I’m doing when playing with him.

I would feel my phone vibrate every few minutes with messages from Jay and I’d reply back as long as I didn’t get too engulfed with the game. And before I knew it, a few hours had passed. But it was Mikasa who pointed it out first; telling Eren that she and Armin would be heading home now. So we said our goodbyes and Eren offered me something to drink when everyone left.

I suppose this was our break from playing and I was thankful of how much I improved within the timespan of playing with Eren and his coaching of the game.

_Bzz Bzz_

My phone buzzed within my pocket and I instinctively pulled it out, unlocking my screen as I took sips from my glass.

_Jay (6:34pm):_

_my dads nagging at me for leaving without saying anything… twice._

I started to reply back as I set the glass down on the counter and I could feel Eren looking at me from across the kitchen.

“You and your phone seem to have a nice relationship” he smirked at me and I typed away at my keypad.

“The marriage ceremony starts next month” I smiled, and drank from my glass again without even looking at Eren.

He laughed and put his finished glass into the sink.

“So is it a girl you like or something?” he asked.

“No, it’s actually someone I met while playing Calling Klien, he’s cool” I replied, and leaned back on the counter.

“Oh, yeah you’ll make a few friends” He said with a smile. My eyes caught glance of the time on my phone and I figured it was best I went home too.

“I’m gonna head home, Eren, thanks for the pizza” I said, as we both started walking towards the family room and I grabbed my board.

“No problem” He started “Oh, and, there’s a house party on Saturday. A lot of people you know will be there” he suggested, as I stood in the door frame.

“Alright, sounds fun” I smiled “Later” waving towards him; I went down the steps of his porch and rode off on my board. I wasn’t sure exactly how to get home but I figured I’d just go back to the park and head home from there.

**_Bzz Bzz_ **

_Jay (6:50pm):_

_Calling klien m8?_

_-Outward to –_

_Jay (6:51pm):_

_Sure (:_

“Mom?!” I bellowed, as I entered my house and smelt delicious Hispanic food being cooked. With my stomach leading the way, I entered the kitchen to find my very short and very Mexican mother cooking along to her tunes.

“Whats cookin, momma” I asked, as I placed a kiss on her cheek and grabbed some lemonade out of the fridge.

“Just Fajitas” she replied “Where have you been, eh?” she said as she turned towards me with that stern look of hers where she furrows her brows and purses her lips.

I smiled “At Eren’s place”

“Oh? He invited you?” she asked, looking rather interested.

“Yeah, with his childhood friends too. We just hung out, and I met his mom” I swiped my finger on the edge of a bowl that had homemade chili in it made by my mother. “Needs more salt” I said, and she immediately got to it. I chuckled as she started to add more salt to it and mixing it together.

“Alright, I’m going upstairs, call me cuando ya está la comida”

She hummed as I made my way out of the kitchen and up towards my room. I was able to hear my sister singing along to her own music as her door was slightly cracked open.

Entering my room, I shut my door all the way, hoping for the best privacy in a house full of girls. I turned on my fan and my t.v, sitting down on my chair while I placed my headset on.

_Surrender2Kirschx is online_

“What took ya” I immediately heard Jay on the other end of the line.

“The smell of wonderful Hispanic food” I smiled, and Jay scoffed.

“I’ve never ate Hispanic food” he stated, and I almost fell over my chair.

“Are you kidding me, JAY!” I shouted in complete bewilderment “Please tell me that’s a lie” I whined, as I almost felt like crying over the matter.

“Nope, I’m serious. My parents have but I’ve never tried it”

I was in complete shock for this was the first time I’ve met someone who hasn’t eaten Hispanic food.

“Jay, we live in a place where dynamic cultures are explored and a variety of them interact on a day to day basis. How can you not have ever gone into a Mexican restaurant when there are thousands of them around you?” I asked, still in shock.

Jay laughed in amusement “I don’t know, I just never thought about it” he finished with chuckles.

“I cannot believe you” I stated “You have to make me a promise that you will try it” I demanded.

“Do nachos from the cinema count?” He asked.

“No, Jay, that doesn’t count” I deadpanned and he laughed again while I face palmed at his ignorance.

Then he was quiet for a bit while we started our mission on CK. However, I was able to hear brief sighs on his end as if he had something on his mind.

I was slightly concerned.

“You alright, Jay?” I asked, breaking the silence.

He seemed to have hesitated a bit before replying “Yeah, I just” he breathed “Had kind of a bum-ish day, I guess”

I could tell he sounded a bit irritated and questions started to form in my head. Though, I decided not to ask anything that would be too personal.

“Well I don’t mind giving you advice on anything so don’t be afraid to rant whenever you need to, alright?” I figured that all I could do at the moment was to reassure him he had someone to talk to.

It was quiet for a little bit.

“Thanks, Marco” Jay started “I like talking to you” and for some reason I could swear I could almost _see_ him smiling through the mic.

I unconsciously smiled back.

“I like talking to you too, Jay”

 

___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___

 

After Jay and I played CK for a while, my mom called me to eat and then I went back to play with Jay until hours had passed.

Our conversations were always random and mostly seemed to have focused on me such as my hobbies and what not. But little by little Jay opened up to me more and I’d learn a few things about him. Things like his dad is kind of a “stay at home” and his mom is always busy. I learned a bit more about his insomnia and how his health kind of wavers from good to bad.

It actually made me concerned.

Before I knew it, the moon was already high up in the sky and it was around 2am.

“Oh, you got a lot better with beating guardians” Jay stated, as my character fought his way through one.

“Yeah, I was able to get some lessons from a friend today” I replied, a bit more confident playing.

“Your friend huh” Jay said, and I hummed in response.

We were back at headquarters after the missions, earning us achievements and new sectors. And I couldn’t help but yawn from exhaustion.

“Hey, Jay, you think I can go to bed now?” I asked through the mic.

“Why are you asking for my permission?” He chuckled.

“I just don’t want to leave you alone, since you have a hard time sleeping and all”

I heard him shift in his chair a bit before he spoke again.

“I’ll be fine, thanks, man” He said and I couldn’t help but still worry a bit for him.

I thought about what I could say to help him out a bit before childhood nightmares came back to me and I remembered what my mother used to do for me when I couldn’t sleep.

“Hey jay” I started “Do you have any cherries or bananas?” I asked.

“Uh, yeah, why?”

“Make a PB&J sandwich with sliced bananas inside. Then have a warm cup of milk and eat some fresh cherries before you go to bed” I told him, having confidence that it will help him out a lot.

“I thought warm milk that helps you sleep is a myth” He replied, with an amused tone.

“Just do it” I deadpanned.

He laughed with an “ok ok”.

“Alright, you have to do it ok, I’m serious, and it’ll help”

“I will, mother, thanks” He replied.

“Ok, goodnight Jay”

“Yep” we logged off together and I rolled myself into a cocoon once I got to my comfort throne.

In no time at all was I out like a light.

 

___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___                                        ___

 

I vaguely heard a soft voice and far away singing of birds, as I was enclosed by warmth and darkness.

“Marco…”

My eyes fluttered open as I saw my sister standing above from the side of my bed. I had no intentions of knowing what time it was for I could feel it in my bones; it was too early.

“Marco, you need to get up, come on” she said, as she tugged on my blanket but had a hard time getting it out from underneath me for I was still rolled up in it.

“Marco, up, I’m serious” I groaned as she continued to her attempts of getting me to wake up.

“Leave me, Becca” I mumbled as I burrowed further within the safety of my cocoon.

“Get ready, Marco, we got to go running” she said, and suddenly I remembered the conversation I had with her and my mother a few weeks into the summer.

I was to continue my athletic activities once school started and join the baseball team again.

“AH CRAP!” I shouted as I sprung up from my bed, pushing my sister out of my room as I rushed into my shorts and sweater. Running downstairs I grabbed my sneakers and tied them on and then rushed out the front door to find my sister already outside waiting for me.

The sun was barely even rising at this time, probably around 6am for what I can tell.

“Ready, Speedy Gonzales?” she smirked.

I felt half dead but baseball was another passion of mine next to skateboarding that I couldn’t afford messing up at try-outs all because I was too lazy to work-out or practice.

I sighed “I’m kinda ready, let’s just go” I said, and we headed on running down the block.

To my surprise though, I was still in pretty good health considering the fact that I stopped exercising since the move. But because I’ve been playing baseball ever since I was able to pick up a bat, my mother insisted I continue to do so.

“It’s been a while; you’re finally running with me again, huh?” Becca huffed beside me as we ran alongside each other.

“Yeah, it has” I smiled.

Becca happens to be in track, though she’s in college now, she’s been doing it since middle school.

My mother always tried to keep us in sports believing it would keep us healthy and out of trouble at the same time. Also because you have to have good grades in order to stay in a school sports club, it helped us stay on top of our academics as well. So of course it was a total win for our mother.

Becca and I ran for a while, ending up in neighborhoods I wasn’t too familiar with.

“You alright if I go ahead of you, baby brother?” Becca asked, and I responded with a nod. She smiled and dashed off ahead of me. It only made sense for her to be faster than me of course.

“Just keep running straight until you hit a small café, okay!” She yelled towards me, as she started to disappear.

I slowed down a bit, stopping to pull out a purple gel pen from my sweaters pocket. I took off the cap with my teeth and started writing numbers down on my palm.

_255_

I took a second to examine it before I heard a meow from behind me.

Turning around, I saw a calico cat lying in front of a door as if waiting to be let inside. But before I could take action of attempting to pet it, the door happened to open and a woman stood in the door frame.

She jumped at the sight of the cat, almost spilling her morning coffee.

“Ah, come on, get inside. I have to get to work” she said as she spoke to the feline. She shut the door behind her once the cat disappeared inside the house. I saw her notice me standing in the middle of the sidewalk and she only smiled at me as she continued to head towards her car.

I thought she was very pretty for her age, maybe late thirties or something.

But it wasn’t until after she left that I noticed the address of her house.

It was the same numbers that I had written in purple on my hand.

_255_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, bet you weren't expecting some stuff to happen here huh? I mean come on, it had to happen.  
> And sorry if my spanish is off a bit.
> 
> Lolno, okay, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Go follow my [tumblr](angeloxii.tumblr.com) for any updates or art relating to this fanfic. I like drawing my BAK babies from time to time. 
> 
> Alrightee, how about we trying reaching 40+ kudos and 2 new comments for the next chapter. I need your feedback or I die and this story dies with me ;clings onto leg
> 
>  EDIT: if youre reading this fic then im sure youve noticed its been a year since this chapter.. which sucks but im hoping to get the next chapter out soon. I think I'll start uploading chapters even if theyre not fully complete and continue it to the next one cause for some reason i feel like they gotta be long but its watevs now lol kbai


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